1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to document management systems and, more particularly to a system and method for maintaining an audit trail of documents that are created, printed, or sent in a network of imaging devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large variety of digital imaging devices exist that enable users to duplicate and distribute document via hardcopy, email, or fax. These imaging devices include scanners, copiers, printers, and fax machines, operating as either as stand-alone devices or working in cooperation with computers. Imaging devices include devices that have a single function, or ones that can perform multiple functions. With this distribution and duplication capability comes increased security concerns. Users have the ability to take, send, or distribute information that a company or government may find confidential, and distribute it to anyone in the world.
Conventionally, the security of documentation handling is addressed by some of the following methods. One method tracks the number of copies or prints that each user makes. However, this method does not provide any record of the document contents. A second security method marks any documents output by an imaging device to prevent future copying, or to track which imaging device creates the document. However, placing a security mark on an image to prevent future copying only works for copies and prints. Users still have the ability to take confidential hardcopy documents, scan them, and send via email or fax to anyone. A third set of security solutions perform tracking, auditing, or monitoring functions through separate security unit attachments to each imaging device. However, separate security units add more clutter to the imaging devices and information retrieval is slow. If an administrator wants to determine what a specific employee has been copying, then the information must be separately gathered from each imaging device.
It would be advantageous if, in addition to the identity of the user and the number of copies made, the contents of a copied document could tracked for auditing purposes. Likewise, it would be advantageous if the imaging device functions and document destinations could be tracked for auditing and security purposes.
It would be advantageous if document auditing data could be collected from a network of imaging devices and stored with a centralized security auditor.
It would be advantageous if the document records from the entire network of imaging devices could be reviewed and analyzed by a centralized security auditor.